Director: Michael Lewen
Writers: Amy Reed and Ben York Jones. Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Jennifer E. Smith.
Producer: Matt Kaplan
Executive Producers: Max Siemers, Matthew Janzen, Aubrey Bendix, Jennifer E. Smith, Christopher Foss, Jordan Fisher, Ben York Jones
Cast: Jordan Fisher, Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, Nico Hiraga
After beginning their relationship with a pact to break up before college, Clare (Talia Ryder) and Aidan (Jordan Fisher) have reached the inevitable: their last night together as a couple. On an epic final date, they retrace the steps of their relationship, each wondering whether they should stay together, or keep their promise to say goodbye forever.
Teen dramas can run the gamut from dark and gritty, to warm and fuzzy, to syrupy and saccharine. On the spectrum of cinematic sweetness, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between falls squarely on the sugary side— light and fluffy and easy to enjoy.
Based on the book by Jennifer E. Smith, the film is neatly broken down into segments as per its title. Beginning with the hello, early doors we witness Clare and Aidan’s meet cute; the two sharing a natural chemistry that culminates with them kindling a relationship. However, with only a year remaining before they graduate and leave for college, it’s a relationship that seems to be on a timer. Given Clare’s fear of ending up with a broken heart, she sets pragmatic boundaries which Aidan agrees to, hence the breakup pact; the two promise to end things cordially before life takes them in different directions. Jumping forward to the goodbye, on the night before Clare leaves for college, the pair embark on a nostalgic date spent recreating their most memorable moments together. Running through the greatest hits of their relationship, each activity leads to flashbacks of the ‘everything in between.’
Coming from the popular To All the Boys franchise, producers Matt Kaplan, Max Siemers, Aubrey Bendix, and Christopher Foss clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to teen romance films. Director Michael Lewen, and writers Amy Reed and Ben York Jones proved they understood the assignment as well; clocking in at 90 minutes, the film is tight and tidy, well shot and well written. Featuring a cute couple that are clearly meant to be together, positing the chance that the relationship won’t last, and adding in some fun only-seems-to-happen-in-a-teen-movie type shenanigans, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between includes many much loved tropes of its genre.
Though on the surface having the goal to break up seems like a point of differentiation, the writers stick safely to what works—as the story unfolds, it still hits all the classic beats of a traditional teen romance film. While wholesome and charming—in many ways idyllic—the film could have afforded to sacrifice a bit of that neatness and charm in favour of becoming more relatable. With a perfect looking couple, who always manage to say perfectly witty things, have an adorably perfect relationship, and are surrounded by loving families and perfectly supportive friends, at times it can all seem a bit too perfect—a touch artificial. Tension struggles to build as the problems never feel truly concerning; though aiming for bittersweet, the bitterness gets diluted by the sheer sweetness of everything else.
The cast give life to archetypal characters that otherwise could have fallen flat. Aidan is the quintessential perfect boyfriend (he even serenades Clare), and Jordan Fisher is effortlessly charismatic in the role. After To All the Boys and Work It, Fisher has the charming teen guy trope down to an art. Talia Ryder, meanwhile, gives a strong performance as the logical, at times cynical Clare, who is torn between her head and her heart. Ayo Edebiri steals whatever scene she’s in as the spunky, supportive Stella; she brings so much life to the screen that it’s a shame her character didn’t get the chance to make a few more appearances.
With the biggest obstacle to the pair’s happiness being self-imposed and the cost being ultimately trivial, the film is fundamentally low stakes. Teen drama is a saturated playing field, and by focusing predominately on the relationship, the film swims at a surface level, missing an opportunity to explore deeper themes that could truly make it stand out from the crowd. Nevertheless, what is offered is, to use Clare’s catch phrase, an “easy breezy” watch—just right for anyone looking for a bit of light-hearted escapism. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between is a chocolate bar of a film—a sweet, bite sized snack that’s enjoyable on any occasion, able to serve as a pick-me-up on a bad day, or simply put a cherry on top of a good day.
